Clackamas Clean Air Station: Visitors to this VIP station will experience delays through 2016 due to major highway construction nearby. Road closures and detours affect access to 82nd Drive. Watch for signage and expect delays. Area construction will continue throughout 2016. Check for additional information and updates at ODOT website. This page provides information about Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) emissions testing requirements, locations, fees and services.   Use the links below to go directly to any section: Who Needs Emissions Testing? DEQ Testing Locations, Hours & Fees Vehicle ID and LEV Check Repair Assistance Through DEQ There is no statewide testing requirement, however, most vehicles in the Portland and/or Medford metropolitan areas must pass a Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) emissions test as part of the registration tag renewal process. Also, most vehicles that are new to Oregon must pass an emissions test prior to being registered in these areas.   

Emissions testing is required as follows: In the Portland area, 1975 and newer model years must be tested (view detailed information). In the Medford (Rogue Valley) area, vehicles 20 model years old and newer must be tested (view detailed information). In these areas, cars, trucks, vans, motor homes and buses powered by gasoline, alternative fuels (such as propane), and hybrids must be tested. In these areas, diesel-powered vehicles with a manufacturer's gross weight rating of 8,500 pounds or less must be tested. Note:  Some vehicles are exempt (refer to the Exemptions section below). DEQ Testing Locations, Hours and Fees The DEQ Vehicle Inspection Program Waiting Time (Web cams) at Clean Air Stations Please refer to the DEQ web site for more information. Refer to the DEQ Web site for information about exemptions from vehicle emissions testing. If you have further questions about whether you are exempt from emissions testing, or you wish to obtain an Exemption Form, call the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) at (971) 673-1630 or toll free at (877) 476-0583.

For some addresses within DEQ inspection boundaries vehicle emissions testing is not required because the ZIP code is within a boundary but the street address is located outside of it. To check your address consult the DEQ Web site or call them at (971) 673-1630, or toll free at (877) 476-0583. Vehicle registrations can be renewed online, at a DEQ testing facility, by mail or in person at a DMV office. Click here for more information about renewing a vehicle registration. Vehicle ID & LEV Check Vehicle Identification Number Inspection: DEQ testing locations may be able to perform a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) inspection in certain cases. New-to-Oregon vehicles that are subject to DEQ emissions testing may have the VIN inspection performed at any DEQ Testing Station. DMV will collect the $7 VIN inspection fee.   A VIN inspection cannot be conducted by DEQ if: Your vehicle is not required to be tested for emissions (for example, motorcycles, trailers, or diesel-powered vehicles over 8,500 pounds GVWR). 

A vehicle is not required to be tested if it is located outside the DEQ boundaries; Your vehicle is coming to Oregon from out of country; Your vehicle is an assembled or reconstructed vehicle. For more information about vehicle identification number inspections, see VIN Inspections.   rochester carburetor air cleanerLow Emissions Vehicles (LEV) Check: Beginning with model year 2009, Oregon requires passenger vehicles with 7,500 miles or less to prove compliance with Low Emissions Vehicle (LEV) requirement before they can obtain registration, unless they are otherwise exempt. air purifier help with allergiesThis is in addition to DEQ emissions testing and other vehicle compliance requirements.   home air purifier for allergies

DEQ testing locations may be able to check the vehicle for compliance with the LEV requirement in certain cases. Vehicles that are subject to DEQ emissions testing may have the LEV check performed at any DEQ Testing Station.   The LEV compliance check cannot be conducted by DEQ if a vehicle is not required to be tested for emissions.   There is no additional fee for an LEV check.   For more information, see Low Emissions Vehicles (LEV). The DEQ Vehicle Inspection Program (VIP) was implemented as part of the air quality maintenance program for the Portland and Medford metropolitan areas.   Vehicles are the number one source of air pollution in Oregon. Emissions lead to high smog and carbon monoxide levels, which can have a variety of effects on Oregonians. The DEQ/VIP is a successful, cost-effective way to reduce air pollution and maintain the quality of Oregon's air. If a 1996 or newer vehicle cannot pass the DEQ emissions test and the owner qualifies for low-income status, the owner of the vehicle may apply for DEQ's Clean Air Partners Program (CAP) and possible repair assistance.  

CAP collects donations from other drivers and uses the funds to help those in need to repair their vehicles, pass the vehicle inspection test and drive cleaner, less polluting vehicles. For more information call 971-673-1630 ext. 0 or visit DEQ on the web at: www.deq.state.or.us/aq/vip/cleanairpartners.htm.   Oregon DEQ no longer offers an Enhanced Test waiver for low-income people. Additional information that may be relevant includes: Titling & Registering Your Vehicle Vehicle Registration/License Plate Renewalsalon of expensive car new luxury The dyno is about to go the way of the dinosaur. In January, Drive Clean will declare the current dynamometer test extinct. In its place will be an OBD (On-Board Diagnostics) protocol, where a government-approved test unit plugs in to communicate directly with your vehicle’s on-board computer, explains Drive Clean expert Eli Melnick of Start Auto Electric in Toronto. While driving, your vehicle’s computer performs a continuous series of self-tests of its emissions systems. 

If anything is amiss, the computer illuminates the “check engine” light. Drive Clean’s new OBD test looks at the status of the computer’s self-checks to determine whether the vehicle is an emissions pass or fail.  Under the new test, any vehicle with the “check engine” light on will fail. More: Act fast on Drive Clean loophole while you still can More: How to safely jump-start a dead car battery More: Is premium gas really worth the cost? If drivers attempt to clear the “check engine” light by disconnecting the battery or by using a scan tool, the vehicle will still fail.  This is because it could take several days of combined city and highway driving to allow the computer to complete its self tests (known as Monitors). Vehicles with Monitors that are “not ready” will fail the new test.  However, 1998-2000 model-year vehicles are permitted two Monitors to be “not ready,” and 2001 and newer models are allowed one Monitor “not ready,” and still pass. 

Most cars have four to five Monitors. Additionally, new security protocols require test facilities to submit photographs of the licence plate and dash of tested autos.  Interrupting the OBD connection during the e-test will cause the system to abort the test, so fraudsters can’t begin on one car and then switch the plug to another car to falsify a pass. Cars, vans and light trucks of model-years 1988 to 1997 aren’t OBD compatible and will instead receive a two-speed idle test. Vehicles of model-year 1987 and earlier are exempt from Drive Clean.  New vehicles don’t require testing until seven years old, except for resale. Until the end of 2012, vehicles with a “check engine” light on may pass the current test, but starting next year that’s an automatic fail. If your vehicle will require a test in 2013 (all even model-years from 1998 to 2006), it’s perfectly allowable under Drive Clean rules to have it done now in 2012 – provided your birthday has passed – and be tested under existing, less-stringent standards. 

A Drive Clean test is good for one year, but must be valid on your plate renewal date (normally your birthday). Most vehicles will pass Drive Clean – a fact that critics cite in questioning the need to continue this program which technology has essentially made redundant as the on-board computer itself is now the primary e-test device and it already communicates trouble to the car owner via the “check engine” light. While the archaic Drive Clean dyno will be gone by year’s end, the new OBD test is, in my opinion, about as lucky as a broken mirror for consumers – as it foreshadows at least seven more years of arguably unnecessary emissions tests for hapless Ontario drivers. If most everyone passes, I’d argue it’s an unnecessary test.  As for duration, with the reduced cost of OBD test equipment and many new test facilities signing on, Drive Clean’s coverage will extend in 2013 to encumber virtually all Southern Ontario residents – and test facilities have been signed to seven year contracts.